


The Arrangement

by quicklyquietly (quitequiet), quitequiet



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, F/M, Falling In Love, Mystery, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27950621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quitequiet/pseuds/quicklyquietly, https://archiveofourown.org/users/quitequiet/pseuds/quitequiet
Summary: Gone are the marriages for romance. As the population shrinks across the world, international bodies put pressure on young people to find their spouse by the time they’re 20-years-old. If they’re unable to find the person they’d like to be with, they’re arranged to marry someone deemed fit by the new Marriage and Family Board.Nearly a decade after the rules came into effect, deemed a success after a rise in birth rate, some don’t even try to find a spouse and instead simply wait for an Arrangement. It’s the new “purity ring” phenomenon; some parents prefer their children to be “undated” before marriage.Lydia is 19-years-old. Her parents are those fanatical types, insistent on her being pure before marriage.
Relationships: Allison Argent/Jackson Whittemore, Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Derek Hale/Lydia Martin, Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski/Malia Tate
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

Gone are the marriages for romance. As the population shrinks across the world, international bodies put pressure on young people to find their spouse by the time they’re 20-years-old. If they’re unable to find the person they’d like to be with, they’re arranged to marry someone deemed fit by the new Marriage and Family Board.

For some, this means moving across the country, for others it means marrying the boy next door. For everyone, it means no chance of divorce.

Nearly a decade after the rules came into effect, deemed a success after a rise in birth rate, some don’t even try to find a spouse and instead simply wait for an Arrangement. It’s the new “purity ring” phenomenon; some parents prefer their children to be “undated” before marriage.

Lydia is 19-years-old. Her parents are those fanatical types, insistent on her being pure before marriage. After her sister’s successful Arrangement, her parents switched her to an all-girls school so she could avoid “temptation.” So she dresses demurely, keeps her face clean and bright and wears her copper hair in a mid-level ponytail. She looks down shyly and blushes in the presence of men. Isn’t that what she’s supposed to do?

Her sister Allison is 26-years-old and pregnant with her first child. Her marriage is… a marriage. But Allison believes in the premise of the Arrangement. She believes in doing her part for her country. Lydia can see it’s not perfect, not even a little. It’s not that Jackson is mean or boring, she just knows they’re not compatible even though the Board believes they are. She’s wracked her brain over the years trying to think of what doesn’t work, but she simply surmises they’re too different.

Jackson is a politician, running on Purity, Family, Forever. Allison plays the picture-perfect wife for the sake of their marriage and his platform. Her manicured fingers, shiny Tiffany jewelry and now mid-term bump present the picture of a loving and devoted wife - to him and the Arrangement.

Lydia begrudgingly fills out her Arrangement profile in her 18th year. It seems obvious that she no longer has any choice and is unlikely to meet her future husband in the next two years. She isn’t allowed to interact with any men under 20-years-old. So the Arrangement is her only option.

Wealthy families, particularly those that send their children to single-gendered schools, pay a pretty penny for professional photos to represent their child. Lydia’s were taken in a local park in her school pinafore and Mary Jane’s. She thinks she’s thick in some of the “wrong places” with a bit more on her hips and thighs. In the days of low-rise jeans her tummy would probably poke over the top.

But the photos are deemed acceptable and her Arrangement profile is completed without issue. She looks like any other girl her age, but the other girls don’t have her secret: Stiles. Stiles is also 19-years-old. He’s clean cut with brown hair - no descriptor, it’s just brown - and brown eyes. He’s muscular, in an undefined type of way.

They used to go to school together before Lydia was switched out. She told him her parents didn’t want her interacting with boys until she was old enough to be Arranged but… well they were just friends. It couldn’t hurt.

Stiles’ parents are considered to be “hippies.” They believe in romance and finding your true spouse through experiences, mistakes and trial and error. They had both suffered through unhappy marriages before finding each other. Within a week they were married and within two pregnant. But that was another lifetime. Things like that didn’t happen anymore.

Stiles was encouraged to go on dates and attend the school dances at his all-gender school. His first kiss was with a girl named Lucy when he was 15-years-old. It was wet and deep, he remembers the sting from clunking their front teeth. He always imagined what it would be like to kiss Lydia.

At 19 years and 300 days old Lydia receives an email from the Marriage and Family Board letting her know of her impending Arrangement if a spouse isn’t entered into the system by day 365. This is it, the final stretch.

\--

On her way to school, Lydia connects to the park’s public wifi and sends a quick message to Stiles. She always leaves 15 minutes earlier than she needs to - her parents think she’s very punctual, it’s even on her Arrangement profile - so she can take a seat on one of the wooden benches and chat with Stiles. They don’t ever get to speak but they can text each other while looking at the other’s expressions.

It’s probably being too careful. There’s no way her parents would find out if she was having conversations with him. Probably. But Stiles is OK with it.

She peeks through her bangs when she hears footsteps crunching through the leaves on the path and sees Stiles sit down on the bench across from her. She gives him a shy smile and feels her phone vibrate against her hand. A simple _Good Morning_ text takes over her screen.

They chat for about ten minutes, Stiles telling her about his night of video games, before Lydia finally drops the news of her impending Arrangement. She glances over to him and sees his teeth worrying his bottom lip as he reads.

_I’m sorry… I know how it feels though._

Lydia sighs and shrugs, knowing he can see her. She types back _I know you do, it is what it is. I didn’t expect anything different._

He replies almost immediately: _But still. It’s not fair._

Lydia agrees and checks the time on her phone. She needs to head to school. She texts him as much and gives him a small wave and a smile. _Until tomorrow_ , he texts back.

\--

Lydia calls her sister when she gets home that afternoon. School was uneventful but she started to think about her future life. She had plans to continue school even if she was married. The Arrangement wasn’t that barbaric. She could still go to school, get a job, have a life. But still… it was scary.

She kicked off her Mary Jane’s and pulled her hair out of its ponytail, flopping down onto her bed. She could hear her mother vacuuming downstairs. The dial tone finally skipped and she heard her sister’s voice.

“Hello?”

“Hi Ali, it’s Lyds.”

Allison grinned at the sound of her younger sister’s voice. She rubbed a hand over her belly and unbuckled her seatbelt. She had just pulled into the grocery store.

“Hey you! How was your day? What’s going on?”

Lydia shrugged, “It was fine. School is school. But I uh, well I got my Arrangement notice last night.”

Allison gave a squeal, “Congratulations! Isn’t it so exciting?”

“I mean… yeah. Yes, it’s exciting. A little scary though,” Lydia says.

“It’s finally your time! Ugh, I would give anything to go through the Arrangement again,” Allison trailed off.

That was… strange. Allison wasn’t usually so vocal about her wish to redo her Arrangement.

“It’s nothing to be scared of, there’s so many safeguards,” Allison gushed. “And if you find you’re not compatible, you can always petition for a new Arrangement.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. She had read about those petitions. From the date of Arrangement she had exactly 30 days to get married. The average petition took 45 days to be seen by the Board. This meant most petitions ended up being thrown out because once they were married, there was no turning back.

“Yeah, the petitions. Well anyways, it’s nothing I didn’t expect. I’m just nervous about how it’s going to play out,” Lydia said. “And to move, of course. What if it’s far?”

Allison hummed, “I mean you could have to move far. But I already moved to Washington. Maybe you’ll come out to the East Coast and we can see each other more often. That would be fun!”

“You’re right Ali, that would be fun.” Lydia imagined moving down the street from her older sister and soon to be nephew. And Jackson. Maybe not.

Allison grabbed her gloves out of her purse and cleared her throat, “Well I’m excited for you Lyds. This is where it all starts. But I’ve gotta go, I’m just in the parking lot at the grocery store and I’m trying to get home before Jackson.”

“Okay Ali, I’ll talk to you later?”

“Always Lyds. Say hi to Mum and Dad!”

Lydia agreed and ended the call, pushing her face into her pillow and wondered what kind of life her Arrangement would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a slow build. Not to mention it's been... seven years since I posted. Yikes.


	2. Chapter 2

Within a few days of her email from the Board, Lydia received another notice informing her that she’s required to come in for an interview to supplement her personality and interests surveys taken at school the year before. The surveys posed the same questions in different ways, trying to dig out their real feelings and opinions on everything from politics to education to hobbies. 

Her results had informed her that she placed in the 98th percentile for compatibility - a good sign, according to her mother.

“You’re compatible with only 2% of the population, Lydia,” her mother gushed, reading the letter. “You’re going to find the person you’re meant to be with, just like your sister.”

At the time, Lydia had given her mother a small smile and nodded, but inside had rolled her eyes at the assertion. When she brought it up to Stiles the next day, he told her that he had placed in the 60th percentile of compatibility, meaning he had a bigger pool. She remembered the dejected feeling, realizing that there was probably no chance they’d be Arranged, as she walked into the Marriage and Family Board office.

Her mother came with her to the interview, sitting beside her in the waiting room, her manicured fingernails flipping through the pages of a magazine. There were others in the waiting room, most of them also with one of their parents. Another girl sat across from them looking bored. The bored girl’s mother nudged her with an elbow, catching her attention and giving her a look complete with a raised eyebrow.

Lydia knew that look well. Her mother gave it to her all the time when she felt she wasn’t completely in the moment or taking the situation all that seriously. She empathized.

A boy sat a few seats down with his father, reading a book written in a different language. Another boy beside them, then a girl. Across the room in the opposite corner was… Stiles. All by himself, sitting with his chin in his hand and leg bouncing anxiously.

Lydia’s eyes widened slightly and she quickly looked down at her lap. She schooled her features and tried not to look over at him, her mother would notice. She could feel his eyes on her though and she desperately wanted to look over and give him a small smile and wave.

A few minutes passed before his name was called over the loudspeaker and he made his way towards the swinging door. A blond-haired man met him in the doorway, shaking his hand. Lydia couldn’t overhear what they were saying.

“That boy looks so familiar…” her mother muttered, looking at Stiles over her magazine.

Lydia shrugged, “Hm, I don’t recognize him.”

Her mother flicked her eyes back down to the article she was reading silently and that was that.

\--

“Before we start the interview I’m obligated to tell you that your answers will be both recorded and notated for analysis. Any information given in this interview is confidential and will only be shared with your significant other on the day of your Arrangement. Each question must be answered. If you cannot answer the question when it is asked, we will come back to it at the end. Please speak clearly and at a measured pace to be appropriately captured. Do you understand?”

Lydia looked at the older woman in front of her and nodded, “I understand.”

The woman nodded and pressed the button on her recorder, grasped her pen and cleared her throat, “Please state your name and your birth month for the record.”

“Oh, Lydia Martin. March.”

“We’ll start with an easy question,” the interviewer hummed. “Are you attending post-secondary education?”

Lydia nodded, brushing her fingers over the hem of her pinafore, “I am. I’m taking classes in psychology, I hope to one day become a psychologist”

She hoped the interviewer wouldn’t prod further. Should she be completely honest? It probably wouldn’t go over well. Her area of interest in psychology was one of much debate. There were plenty of child psychologists, therapists to help with a work-life balance, stress, mental health. But…

“What area are you interested in practicing?” The interviewer asked, looking down at her notebook.

“Oh, well actually I’m undecided,” Lydia said, rolling the hem of her pinafore in her fingers.

“Hm,” the interviewer muttered.

“We can move on. What are traits that you look for in a significant other?”

The rest of the questions followed similarly, what physical traits attracted her, what jobs attracted her, what level of emotional vulnerability attracted her. She tried to answer as best she could but in all honesty, she really didn’t know. She hadn’t interacted with many men, or boys for that matter. Except for Stiles. She didn’t know if she was necessarily attracted to Stiles, but their personalities got along. 

Through the years her parents kept telling her she would just know. As if one day she’d wake up and know immediately what her type was. Well, that day hadn’t come yet and she had no clue. She supposed someone tall, at least taller than her short stature, but when it came to hair colour, build and facial structure she had no idea. How was she supposed to know when she had been kept from interacting with single males for the last seven years.

“Well those are all the questions,” the interviewer noted after what must have been over an hour. “Oh, but I would like to come back to one of the first questions. I have a feeling you do know what area of psychology you’d like to get into.”

Lydia frowned and stared back at the interviewer.

“It’s all confidential. Your significant other will find out at the time of the Arrangement, but if we’ve done our job properly, it won’t make a difference,” the interviewer explained, looking at her expectantly.

“Well,” Lydia started, “I’ve thought about practicing in many areas of psychology. But I guess my preference would be in marriage and family therapy.”

Lydia thought she saw a twinkle in the interviewer’s eyes as she noted down her answer. This area of therapy was controversial to say the least. If you believed in the role of the Marriage and Family Board, there was no reason for marriage and family therapists. Relationships were perfectly Arranged, why would anyone have a problem?

“An underserved area of therapy, for sure,” the interviewer muttered after shutting off the recorder. “I wish you all the happiness in your Arrangement.”

Lydia nodded and stood muttering a small thank you and headed to the door.

“And in your future profession.”

\--

Lydia was quiet in the car ride home as her mother asked her how the interview went. She kept her answers short, only sharing what she knew would appease her mother. She could feel a headache starting to touch her temples and contemplated taking her hair out of its ponytail.

“I think I’m going to go for a run when we get home,” Lydia casually mentioned. She wanted to talk to Stiles and see how his interview went. He was already gone by the time she had left.

Her mother smiled and nodded, “You’ve been running more, trying to stay in shape for your Arrangement. You know how proud your father and I are of how you’re taking this.”

Lydia rolled her eyes in her mind, yes, very well.

“It wasn’t this easy with your sister. She put up a bit of a fight at first. When the rule was first announced I don’t think she thought it would last that long, but once she got her notice she had a very tough time with the whole thing,” her mother explained.

Lydia made a small noise of acknowledgement. She had never heard this before. Her sister? Allison? Had an issue with the Arrangement?

“She even started dating this boy without us knowing. I think they were both trying to get out of the Arrangement, but obviously once we found out we made sure that didn’t continue,” her mother continued.

Lydia could not believe what she was hearing. From her memory, her sister was excited for the prospect of the Arrangement and she couldn’t wait to find her significant other and raise a family. Lydia thought so, at least.

“She seems to have taken it in stride though. I think her and Jackson make a good match, and the baby will be beautiful. Seeing her success made your father and I realize we couldn’t ask for anything better for you,” her mother explained.

Lydia nodded and gave her mom a small smile, all she could muster. “Thanks mom, I know.”

They pulled into the driveway and Lydia quickly went upstairs to change into her running clothes. She grabbed her headphones and plugged them into her phone, putting on her running playlist. She waved to her mom as she left, taking off down the street in the direction of the park.

There weren’t many people around and she enjoyed the feeling of her feet pounding on the sidewalk, the sound of her heart beating in her ears in time with the music. She actually didn’t love to run, but had used it as an excuse for the last few years so often that she had found herself with great stamina and a good mile time.

As soon as she entered the park she connected to the public wifi and sent Stiles a text letting him know she’d be at the park for the next ten minutes if he wanted to come by and chat.

She wandered over to her usual bench and smiled when she saw Stiles text he’d be right there. Only two minutes later she saw him wander over to his own bench and offer her a big, goofy smile.

_ How did your interview go?  _ Stiles asked, looking over at her.

Lydia gave him a small smile and typed back,  _ It was alright, kind of strange. I felt like most of the questions I didn’t really have an answer to. How am I supposed to know what I want out of a partner when I’m never around the male gender? _

She could see Stiles shrug his shoulders and he typed back,  _ You could’ve just described me! _

Lydia grinned back at him and gave a small laugh, sticking her tongue out,  _ Who said I didn’t? _

She was met with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk,  _ I knew it! _

Lydia rolled her eyes back,  _ How did your interview go? _

_ It was alright, I don’t think the interviewer appreciated my humour but hopefully that helps weed out any ladies that don’t like to laugh. _

Lydia returned a big grin to him and mimicked a full belly laugh,  _ You should’ve just said you wanted to be Arranged with me. _

Stiles looked down at his phone for a little longer than Lydia expected, but eventually sent a text back and looked at her with a sincere smile,  _ Who said I didn’t? _

The sincerity made Lydia’s stomach clench and her cheeks flush. She knew she was red, she knew it was probably creeping down her chest right about now. Was this… attraction? She had felt it before with Stiles, but usually attributed it to the fact that he was the only person of the male gender that she had regular interactions with. Maybe she did like him though. 

_ Sorry Lyds, not trying to make you uncomfortable _ .

Lydia looked back at Stiles and shook her head,  _ You didn’t. _

She looked at the time on her phone and realized she’d been there for almost 15 minutes. She pouted at Stiles, sticking out her bottom lip slightly and texted him,  _ I have to go though. I’ve been here a little longer than I should’ve stayed. _

Lydia stood up as Stiles read and gave him a big grin when he gave her a small wave. She put her music back on and took off running out of the park.


	3. Chapter 3

At 19 years and 345 days-old, Lydia only has 20 days until her Arrangement notice. She tries to preoccupy her time with school, Stiles and her sister. She also tries not to think about her future husband or where she’s going to live. As far as she knows, on her 20th birthday, she’ll be shipped off to live with the man she’s been Arranged to marry. They’ll marry within 30 days and settle in as husband and wife. And that’s that.

Is there anything more depressing? In less than three weeks her entire life will be decided with no chance of change. It’s around this time she starts her research in earnest. She goes to the library between classes and looks up the actual Marriage and Family decree. It’s long and complicated, convoluted even, but she tries to understand as much as possible. 

She mostly wants to know what her options are if they truly don’t get along. What if they’re completely different? What if it’s a mistake? What if he’s abusive? She knew the pre-marriage petitions were useless but what about once they were already married? 

Turns out the only valid reasons for divorce included abuse - with undeniable proof - and infertility on either partners behalf. Those who were Arranged went through plenty of medical testing beforehand to rule out infertility, but things happened. People could get sick or have an accident. The only other way out of an Arrangement was the death of one of the partners. But with abuse or death, partners were given one year to mourn or recover before being Arranged again, if they couldn’t find their own partner.

The only way out of the Arrangement completely was infertility. If you couldn’t help repopulate the Earth, you were free to do what you wanted. She wondered how many young women had done something to be removed from the Arrangement. It hurt her heart to think about.

On day 348 she saw Stiles at the park and picked his brain about the process for men. She knew what young women went through, but was it different for young men? She asked Stiles when his birthday was and when he’d be matched.

_My birthday is in April, so that’s when I become eligible. But I don’t necessarily get Arranged on my birthday. I could wait an entire year until someone I’m compatible with turns 20._

Well there went that plan. Lydia had some hope that just maybe she’d be Arranged with Stiles but it was impossible. His birthday was an entire month after her own, so they wouldn’t be eligible at the same time. She told Stiles as much and he gave her a forced smile from his usual bench.

 _It’s alright Lydia. You and I both knew that was a longshot. They could literally match us with anyone in the country_.

Lydia nodded, _That’s what I’m worried about._

_Of moving away?_

Lydia nodded from her bench, urging herself not to cry, _Just having to leave my family, my hometown, my friends. You._

She could see Stiles looking down at his phone, avoiding her, _It’ll be okay Lydia. I promise_.

\--

On day 350, her sister and Jackson arrived. She had hoped her sister would be there for her Arrangement notice date, but she’s already pushing it with her pregnancy and flying. Allison and Jackson live in D.C. due to Jackson’s career and have never visited as much as Lydia hoped. Usually in the summers she went to stay with her sister for a week or two. They’d visit museums and go to the spa and salon together. Jackson was always polite but seemed slightly… cold. 

She gives her sister a big hug when she sees her and asks if she can feel her belly. Her sister rolls her eyes and grabs her hand, pressing it to the side of her belly, “He keeps kicking over here.”

Lydia holds her breath and waits, eyes flipping up to meet Allison’s when she feels a tiny kick against her palm, “That’s amazing!”

Allison rolls her eyes, “The first time, sure.”

Jackson makes his way over and gives a tight smile to Lydia, “Congratulations on your upcoming Arrangement.”

Lydia smiles and thanks him before they all walk into the living room. She sits next to her sister and they chat about life. Allison shows her pictures of the new renovations they’ve done to their house and she can hear Jackson speaking to her father about the bill he’s working on to be passed. Something about further oversight on women who exit Arrangements due to infertility.

Her father and Jackson slowly move into his study to discuss more over a drink and a cigar and her mother heads to the kitchen to start making dinner. Lydia grasps Allison’s hand, “Come upstairs for a few minutes?”

Allison nods and they head up the stairs, past Allison’s old room and into Lydia’s. Lydia has been dying to ask her about what their mother said. She’s spent the past few weeks thinking about Allison’s Arrangement notice day.

She remembered it was the day before her 20th birthday and Allison had received a notice telling her that a Marriage and Family Board representative would arrive within one hour with all of the information on her partner. She could remember her sister with a smile on her face. But maybe, after what her mother said, she wasn’t actually that happy about it.

They sat together on Lydia’s bed, leaning against the headboard. Allison had her fingers locked and resting on her belly. “Look,” Lydia said, getting straight to the point. “I wanted to ask you something and I just want you to answer me as honestly as possible.”

“Anything Lyds.”

Lydia took a deep breath and recalled her conversation with her mother, “Were you always happy about the Arrangement?”

She could see Allison’s breath stutter and her lips purse, but after a few quiet moments, she answered. “Honestly Lydia? No. I wasn’t. When I received my first notice I was furious. I knew the rule existed but never expected it to last. I never thought anyone would just allow it to continue. I thought there would be pushback and protests. If there were any, I never saw them.”

Lydia was quiet as she spoke, “As my day got closer and closer I started to panic and I started seeing this guy in my year at school, Scott. We dated for about two months, obviously I kept it from mom and dad. They were really excited about the Arrangement for some reason. One day mom went through my phone and saw the texts to Scott and that was it.”

“What do you mean that was it?” Lydia asked, anxiously chewing on her lip.

“I didn’t see him again. Mom and dad stopped me from going back to school until I received my Arrangement notice. I think they were hoping I would be shipped off to be with my future husband somewhere else and they got their wish.” Allison rubbed her belly as she spoke, catching sight of her wedding ring on her left hand.

“But… you seemed happy. I remember you smiling,” Lydia said.

Allison nodded, “Mom came to me about a week after everything happened and asked if for your sake, I could put a smile on my face. She didn’t want you to be scared of the Arrangement for what she thought were stupid reasons. So I smiled and acted graciously and never said a bad word. And then I left.”

The two sisters were quiet as Lydia processed the information. So it was a farce. Her sister wasn’t happy about the Arrangement, and from the look of things still wasn’t. 

“Are you… are you happy now at least?”

Allison shrugged and looked down, playing with her wedding ring. “I’m… OK. Things are good. I’m very comfortable, obviously. We have money, I’m living what anyone would say is a life of luxury. I finished my degree and then got my Masters. I don’t have to work if I don’t want to. I’m having a baby. There’s not much to be unhappy about.”

Lydia scoffed, “Sure there is! Are you happy with him?”

Allison smiled and looked at her younger sister. She could feel a few tears welling in her eyes. She had kept all of these feelings to herself over the past few years. She couldn’t tell her mother or her father and her friends seemed perfectly happy in their Arrangements. 

“I’m content with Jackson. Are we in love? I don’t think so. But we get along. I know you think he’s cold but… he’s never been anything but kind and sweet to me. Maybe he feels differently, I don’t know. But life is fine.”

Lydia gave a big sigh and sunk her head into her hands. This is not what she wanted to hear. Part of her wanted to hear the process had sucked but the end result was a beautiful marriage to a man she loved that without the Arrangement she would’ve never found. Deep down she knew that wasn’t the case.

“So you’re just going to stay like this?”

“I don’t have a choice,” Allison said, grasping her sister’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “It’s just the way the world is Lydia. Maybe it’s not a love match, but I think they do try to find you someone you’ll like. 

Lydia squeezed Allison’s hand back and nodded, “But what about Scott?”

Allison shrugged once more, “What about him?”

“What happened to him? Have you ever seen him again?” Lydia asked.

Allison sat up from the bed and stood up stretching, pushing her arms behind her back into a long hold. She came over to Lydia’s side of the bed and pulled her up.

“Scott was Arranged shortly after I was and I’m sure he’s very happy.”

“You’re su-”

“Just leave it Lydia.”

Allison squeezed her hands again giving her a tight smile before turning around and walking out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant it when I said slow build.


	4. Chapter 4

On day 360 Lydia receives an email from the Marriage and Family Board reminding her that she only has five days left to register a marriage or an Arrangement will be made for her. She stares at the email for longer than necessary knowing she does not have a marriage to register and won’t.

Allison and Jackson left a few days prior and Lydia had never hugged her sister so hard. She didn’t know when she’d be able to see her next. Depending on where her new home was, Allison wouldn’t be able to come to her wedding but she hoped she’d be able to get out to D.C. when her nephew was born. 

Jackson was… strange. Lydia always thought he was strange, but now that she was almost in the same situation, she paid more attention to him. When they’d go out in public he made sure he was always holding Allison’s hand or had his hand pressed to her back. He looked over at her frequently, lots of big smiles. But at home, the two stayed apart from each other.

They both slept in Allison’s room, where she assumed they were in the same bed, but didn’t seem to talk much or sit near each other otherwise. The three of them had gone out to the park one afternoon and sure enough, Jackson kept his eyes on his wife, even placing his hand on her belly for a few minutes. Once they walked through the door, Jackson disappeared to her father’s study and Allison went to the kitchen.

It was like they had a public facing relationship and a private one. And the private one wasn’t much of a relationship. Lydia figured it had to have something to do with his role in the Government, keeping up appearances. But she hoped her Arrangement wouldn’t follow suit.

The more she had thought it about it, the more she hoped it was a love match. It wasn’t impossible, she could find the love of her life, but she didn’t know how often it really happened. People didn’t really… talk… about their Arrangements. Everyone seemed as though they were happy and content in their Arranged lives, but Lydia didn’t really know.

She ventured out for a run on day 361 hoping to be able to talk to Stiles. She hadn’t really gotten to talk to him while Allison was there and it hit her suddenly that morning that she only had him for a few more days.

The weather was a little gloomy that day, with plenty of cloud cover but no rain. Lydia threw on a sweatshirt, her running leggings and her favourite pair of running shoes. She slipped her headphones in and waved to her father as she headed out the door. Her legs found their rhythm as she pounded down the sidewalk in the direction of her neighbourhood park. As always, she connected to the public wifi once she was close and sent a text to Stiles.

Her bench was occupied as she walked closer and a thought made her pause before she sat down on the bench next to it. What if…? Lydia steeled herself and walked over to the bench that Stiles usually sat on, taking a seat on one side. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually spoken to Stiles. She was always afraid someone would be watching, but with only four days left, what did it really matter?

A few minutes later a tall body took a seat next to her and she flicked her eyes over only to see Stiles. Lydia pulled her headphones out and gave him a big grin, “Hi Stiles.”

Stiles’ face lit up. His eyes seemed to sparkle and he couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off his face, “Hi Lydia.”

Strangely, they sat quietly for a few moments, enjoying sitting close to each other. Lydia took the time to study his face, noting each of his moles and beauty marks, his long eyelashes and hint of stubble

“What?” Stiles asked, still smiling.

Lydia shrugged, “Just looking at you close up. I like your eyes.”

If possible, Stiles seemed to blush and Lydia could see his eyes flicking all over her face, “I like your eyes too.”

Lydia glanced down at her lap with a smile. This was nice.

“So what made you decide to sit here today?” Stiles asked, folding his hands in his lap.

“Well someone is sitting on my bench. And I was going to sit on that bench there,” Lydia pointed across the walkway. “But, I thought why not come and sit next to you? And actually talk.”

Stiles nodded, “Not scared someone is going to see?”

Lydia looked around the park, there were only a few people there and all seemed totally engrossed in their own worlds. “No point really. It’s not going to change anything. In five days I’ll be shipped around the US like cattle where I’ll live the rest of my days.”

Stiles snorted and rolled his eyes, “If by saying shipped like cattle you mean flown first class, then sure.”

Lydia shrugged and felt her shoulder rub against Stiles. She glanced over at him and pulled the corner of her bottom lip into her mouth. “It’s the same thing. Both are unwilling parties.”

“Whoever is Arranged with you will treat you like a Queen, how could they not? One look at you and they’ll be wrapped around your finger,” Stiles said.

“I don’t know about that,” Lydia mumbled.

“I do. It’s what I would do.”

Lydia looked over at Stiles and noticed that look on his face. That look that meant something different than, we’re just friends. She gave him a gracious smile and tapped his knee with her finger, “Thanks Stiles.”

Stiles shrugged, “So, only five days?”

Lydia nodded, “Five days.”

They were silent after that. Lydia wasn’t really sure what to say and Stiles didn’t seem to either. It was nice though, even sitting in silence but being so close to each other. If she moved even an inch to the left her arm would rub against his arm. She swore she could feel the heat coming from his body.

They sat for a few more minutes, making small talk and not talking about the Arrangement until Lydia looked at her phone and saw the time, “I should go Stiles. I’ve been here for a while.”

Stiles nodded and gave her a soft smile, “Will we see each other before you leave?”

Lydia nodded, “Yes, of course. I’ll text you.”

She stood in front of Stiles, her arms by her sides. She so badly wanted to feel what it would be like to hug him but she knew that would be going too far. She settled instead for sticking her hand out.

“A handshake?” Stiles asked incredulously, close to laughter.

“Just do it Stiles.”

They shook hands in what must’ve been the longest handshake ever recorded. Her fingers tingled when he touched them with his own. His palm was soft and smooth, his fingers long and slender. His hand looked giant next to hers. They provided a perfect juxtaposition though: hers was small and feminine, with manicured nails while his were large and masculine, with perfectly round cuticles. She had never stared at someone’s hand so long before.

As she left the park she smiled. And as she slept that night, she dreamt of Stiles.

\--

A knock on her bedroom door suddenly woke her from her sleep. She turned to look at the clock on her night table and blinked a few times to read the numbers 5:37 a.m. Her door opened a crack and she could see her mother poke her head in. She looked at her expectantly and waited for her mother to say something.

“Did you check your email?” Her mother whispered.

Lydia stared at her in disbelief. “What?”

“Your email, for your notice!”

Lydia groaned and threw her head back on her pillow, “It’s 5:30 in the morning mom! No, I didn’t check my email.”

Her mother flicked Lydia’s lights on and Lydia scrunched her eyes up to hide the bright lights. She came to sit down on the side of her bed and gave her a bright smile. “Aren’t you excited? Allison got hers at 5 a.m.”

Lydia rolled her eyes in her mind and reached over to grab her cell phone. The two were silent as she opened up her email and Lydia felt her stomach drop when she saw the notice. Here it was, the rest of her life was in this email. Once she opened it, that was it. She couldn’t turn back.

She took a big breath as her mother let out a sound that could only be described as a squeal.

_ Congratulations! Tomorrow, on your 20th birthday, you will start the rest of your life with a partner. We are pleased to share that an Arrangement has been made after no marriage was recorded in our system. The Arrangement program has proven to be a successful and vital part of the fabric of our world and we thank you for continuing to support these efforts. _

_ An Arrangement officer will visit your home at 10 a.m. to share the news of your partner in person. You will be expected to leave tomorrow. _

Well, there it was. In just a few hours she’d know the name of the person she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with and tomorrow she’d head out. Her mother leaned over and scooped her up in a big hug, whispering in her ear how proud she was.

Proud? Of this? Something she had almost no involvement in? Instead of being proud of her education and intelligence, two things she had worked at, her mother was proud of her for being Arranged with a random man.

“Thanks mom,” Lydia mumbled. “I’m going to go back to sleep for a little.”

Her mom nodded, patting her on the leg, “Okay. I washed your favourite pinafore, I think that would be perfect to meet the Officer.”

Lydia nodded and turned over, squeezing her eyes shut tight. She felt a tear or two squeeze through but kept her eyes closed.

A few hours later she was showered, dressed and anxiously awaiting the Arrangement Officer. She had called her sister who wished her good luck and helped calm her nerves. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just wrong. It had always seemed strange, but now that she was moments away from finding out who her Arranged partner would be, the situation just felt wrong.

From her place in the living room she heard a short knock on the door. Standing up and straightening out her pinafore, she took a deep breath and walked over to the foyer. She could see her mother in the kitchen pulling cookies out of the oven and placing them on a tray, always the hostess.

She could feel her heart beating in her chest and she opened the front door to see a woman and a man. The woman was wearing a simple suit with a Marriage and Family pin and was holding a briefcase. The man was standing beside her, dressed simply, but not wearing any identifying pins.

“Good morning Lydia, I recognize you from your photo,” the woman said, holding out her hand. “I’m Officer Redden with the Marriage and Family Board.”

Lydia gave her a polite smile, “It’s nice to meet you. Please come in.”

Officer Redden and the man walked into the house, taking off their shoes, and followed Lydia into the sitting room where her mother had placed plates, mugs and a tea kettle. Who was the man? He looked older, he couldn’t be her Arranged…

“This is my husband,” Officer Redden explained as they sat down. “I find it’s comforting to those who are newly Arranged to see a happy and successful Arranged couple. We were among the first year of Arrangements.”

Lydia smiled shyly and acknowledged Mr. Redden, “It’s nice to meet you both.”

Lydia’s mother came in with the tray of cookies and sat them down before introducing herself to Officer and Mr. Redden. They had a short polite conversation before Officer Redden turned to Lydia and grinned.

“Well, there’s no reason to drag this out any longer. I’m sure you’re anxious and excited to find out who your partner will be. I have his folder right here,” she said, tapping a green folder on her lap.

“I’m going to hand the folder to you and you are free to look through all of the information, including the photos. If you have any questions, that’s what I’m here for. Now, in about 35 minutes, you’ll be able to speak to your partner on the phone. This is a relatively new addition to the Arrangement, but in the feedback we have received has been highly requested,” explained Officer Redden. “This way you can speak to him before officially meeting him tomorrow.”

Lydia nodded and accepted the folder. It was heavier than she expected, fuller than it looked. She placed the folder in her lap and took a deep breath. Her mother was watching her with a grin on her face and Officer Redden looked similarly.

“I love this part,” said Officer Redden. “It’s so exciting.”

Lydia nodded and flipped open the cover of the folder. A form greeted her that was familiar because she had filled one out too. It was simple, with just a space for your name, age and hometown. The bottom half included your physical attributes: hair colour, eye colour, height, weight. She read the name with butterflies in her stomach. Her partner was going to have a name now.

_ Derek Hale _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope people are actually enjoying this.


	5. Chapter 5

_Derek Hale  
_ _25-years-old  
_ _Beacon Hills, California_

Wait. 25-years-old? How was that possible?. She knew the guys had the entire year to be matched but… this couldn’t be right. She looked up at Officer Redden, a questioning look in her eyes. Was it a mistake?

“Is this a typo?” Lydia asked, pointing to the form. She could see her mother look at her questioningly and try to peak at the form, but Lydia kept it on her lap.

“No typos. But the first and second pages might answer your questions,” Officer Redden said, picking up her tea cup.

Lydia looked back down at the form.

_Dark brown hair  
_ _Hazel-green eyes_

How did this explain his age? Lydia flipped the sheet over to see a red asterisk and a short sentence.

_This candidate has been reentered into the Arrangement after an unsuccessful Arrangement at age 20._

Well that was… unexpected. What did unsuccessful mean? Lydia just assumed she’d be Arranged with someone her age. She never even thought about the people who were reArranged after their first. Lydia didn’t think there could be that many people, after reading about the very limited circumstances that called for exiting an Arrangement.

She wondered what had happened. Had his partner died? Could she have been abusive? Infertility? She couldn’t think of any other reasons to leave an Arrangement.

“Does that answer your question?” Officer Redden asked Lydia.

Lydia nodded and continued reading through the package. She flipped through what must have been ten pages of information, some filled out by Derek and some typed. There were surveys, all the same ones she had filled out, and commentary and analysis on what must’ve been interviews. Finally she reached the middle of the package where there were a few photos tucked in. 

She held her breath and flipped the piece of paper to see what looked like a modelling photo. He was… wow. Bright eyes, dark hair, a scruffy beard. He was smiling in the photo, wearing a v-neck t-shirt and jeans. His arms looked muscular and were covered in fine dark hair. His chest seemed well defined too. 

She flipped to another photo, and another, and another. He was really kind of beautiful. But most importantly, his eyes looked kind. She studied them in each picture and even though she knew they were posed photos, he looked like a nice person. 

“Your phone call is going to be in two minutes. I have a cell phone here to give you and he will call you,” Officer Redden said, interrupting her thoughts and handing her the phone. “I’m sure your mother would like to see your partner though, if you want to leave the folder.”

Lydia accepted the phone and passed the folder off to her mother. She wasn’t sure what she was going to think. He was nothing like Jackson, if that’s what she was hoping for. 

Lydia climbed the stairs to go up to her room and have the conversation in private. She wasn’t really sure what to say to him, to Derek. She knew he had spent the past 30 minutes looking at an identical folder with her own information and photos. Oh god, the photos. She hadn’t anticipated being Arranged with someone older than her. She could only imagine his reaction to what she knew were photos of what looked like a 15-year-old girl.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. She could do this. She would just talk to him like she would to… to Stiles. Oh, Stiles. Maybe not him. She’d talk to him like she’d talk to anyone at school maybe. It actually might not be so awkward, after all this was his second Arrangement.

The ring of the phone broke her out of her thoughts and she stared at it, frozen. Here goes nothing.

“Hello?”

“Lydia? It’s Derek.”

Lydia let out a shaky breath at the sound of his voice. His voice was gravely, not too deep. “Hi Derek.”

“How are you?” Derek asked. He sounded calm and she was glad. Someone needed to be calm in this situation and it definitely wasn’t her.

Lydia swallowed, “I’m… alright I think. It’s a big thing to take in but I think I’m alright. How are you?”

Derek made a noise in agreement, “I understand that. It is a big thing. But I’m doing fine too, it’s been an interesting morning.”

“You’re right about that…”

Derek gave a small snicker and asked, “Are you with your family?”

“Yes. Well, my mother is downstairs with Officer Redden. I’m just upstairs for some privacy while we talk,” said Lydia, speaking quickly. “Not that we need privacy for anything… I mean just so my mother wouldn’t overhear everything.”

The conversation continued like this, just small talk and getting used to each other’s voices. Lydia liked his laugh and his tone, it was soothing. She thought he sounded nice so far. He was polite and asked her questions without talking too much about himself, but he also answered questions when she asked.

She didn’t ask him about his previous Arrangement though, not yet. It was too soon, she thought. And honestly, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know quite yet.

“So, have you packed your things for tomorrow?” Derek asked, as their conversation was coming to an end. 

“I have, mostly. Just a few things to add. I guess I need to find out about my flight. It’s California, right?” Lydia asked.

“Yes, warm and sunny. Although that’s nothing new for you coming from Arizona,” Derek said.

Lydia smiled, so he had read her file. “Yes, Phoenix. It’s not too far. Are you near the beach?”

Derek hummed, “About a 20 minute walk. I’ll show you tomorrow, when you’re here.”

Lydia nodded and the phone call went silent. Tomorrow she’d be in California with a man she didn’t know, which seemed to hit home from them both. She’d invade Derek’s space, Derek who had been on his own for at least a year. She’d invade his space and live with him forever.

Forever.

For. Ever.

It was then she heard Derek repeating her name on the phone and she snapped out of her thoughts, “Sorry, yes, I’m here. I was just thinking. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure you’re OK. I should let you go though, get back to the Officer. Is your family throwing you a party tonight?” Derek asked, calming Lydia’s nerves.

“No, they’re not. They wanted to but my sister can’t make it here and… honestly I just didn’t want a party,” Lydia explained. She’d have to call her sister as soon as she could.

“I understand that. I hadn’t wanted one either,” Derek said. “I’ll see you tomorrow Lydia.”

“See you tomorrow Derek.”

With that they hung up and Lydia stole a few more moments alone.

\--

Lydia told her parents that afternoon that she wanted to take one more run through the neighbourhood, but she really just wanted to see Stiles. She headed out the door with her headphones in and took the familiar route to the park. Her feet pounded against the pavement like they had every other time. Would it be different to run in California?

Her text to Stiles was met with an immediate response and Lydia took a seat on his bench. It was already starting to turn to dusk, the sky slightly darkened with a reddish hue. She wasn’t usually out at this time, but she was glad she was there to see it. It almost seemed… symbolic. 

Stiles sat next to her and Lydia realized he must’ve been waiting for her text. He knew it was her last night in Phoenix and he looked over at her with a sad smile. “How did it go?”

Lydia sighed and gave Stiles a description of Derek, what they talked about, what all of his papers said and the fact that this was his second Arrangement. Stiles didn’t seem that surprised by the notion, but listened intently as Lydia spoke. 

“He seems nice though. So far, just from speaking to him on the phone. But I’m nervous to leave everyone. It’s not fair that the guy gets to stay put and the girl has to travel to him,” Lydia said.

Stiles shrugged, “I mean the guy gets the choice whether he wants to stay put or move. Most guys choose to stay put though, which means the girl joins him.”

Lydia didn’t realize that. The men got a choice? That hardly seemed fair, although the patriarchy was still very much alive so maybe it wasn’t that much of a surprise.

“Interesting…” Lydia trailed off.

“You’ll be OK Lydia. He sounds like a nice person and he’s older, maybe he’s more mature than some of the guys our age,” Stiles said. “You’ll also have some freedom from your parents which will be nice.”

This was true, she couldn’t wait to not have to answer to her parents all the time. She couldn’t wait to wear something other than her pinafore. Maybe she’d have a new hairstyle too. She hoped Derek wasn’t one of those guys who expected his wife to stay home and do housework. Not that she had anything against housework, but she had other things she wanted to do. 

“That’s true. We’ll still keep in touch, right? And maybe when you’re Arranged we can visit each other,” Lydia said, looking at Stiles.

Stiles smiled and nodded, “I don’t see why not, that would be nice. And of course we’ll keep in touch, how am I going to go through my Arrangement without talking to you?”

Lydia smiled and let out a big sigh, “I can’t believe that’s it.”

Stiles shook his head, “It’s not Lydia. It’s only the beginning.”

Lydia looked over at Stiles and a thought popped into her head that she knew she might never get a chance to do again. She stretched her fingers out and stood up, turning to face her friend. “How about a hug?”

Stiles stood up quickly and immediately wrapped Lydia in his arms, pulling her close to his chest. She pressed her face into his shoulder, breathing in his cologne and scrunching her fingers up in his shirt. So this is what it felt like. She had only ever been hugged by her parents and her sister. 

She could feel some tears threatening to escape so she closed her eyes tightly and held on to him. Stiles had leaned his head down and she could feel his face resting on her shoulder, pressed into her hair. 

Maybe this was more than friendship, she thought. Whatever it was, they clung to each other for another few minutes, neither willing to let go.

\--

“So???!” Allison answered the phone.

Lydia rolled her eyes as she got comfortable in her bed, already wearing her nightgown and brushing out her hair.

“So?” Lydia responded.

She could almost hear Allison rolling her eyes, “How did it go? Derek Hale… Mom told me his name but not how your conversation went. You’re so lucky you got to speak to him on the phone, when I was Arranged the first words I spoke to Jackson were when he picked me up from the airport.”

“It was alright, he seemed nice and was polite. How much can you really tell about a person from a 15 minute phone conversation?” Lydia asked.

“Fair. And he’s really 25? This is his second Arrangement?”

Lydia made a confirming noise, “Yup. That’s what his form said, that he had been Arranged at 20 and had been reentered into the Arrangement. I didn’t ask him though, I thought it was probably too soon.”

“Definitely, I’d give it some time. Maybe you won’t even have to ask and he’ll just tell you. I mean, I don’t know how common it is to be reArranged,” Allison trailed off. 

“I was going to ask you, I thought maybe it was more common than I had been led to believe. But, maybe not,” Lydia replied, grabbing the green folder with all of Derek’s information and opening it to his photos.

“I don’t think it’s that common Lydia. But I’m sure it’s legitimate,” said Allison.

Lydia hadn’t even thought about that. Could it be illegitimate? Could he have tricked his way out of his previous Arrangement? She doubted it but it wasn’t impossible. 

She looked over at her bags that were packed in the corner. She’d put everything except her last few toiletries into her two suitcases with the intention of using them before her flight in the morning. 

“Lydia, I’m sure everything is fine. You said it yourself, he seems nice so far. And I’m sure there’s no reason to think otherwise,” Allison spoke again. “And California, lucky! I bet it’s beautiful there. Will you be near the beach?”

Lydia hummed, “He said he’s about 20 minutes from the beach and he’d show me tomorrow.”

“Well I’m sure it’ll be great, but I have to let you go. Jackson’s just getting home and I’ve gotta pull dinner out of the oven,” explained Allison. “Baby’s hungry.”

“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Yes, call me tomorrow when you have a few minutes. Don’t worry, OK? It’ll be great,” said Allison.

“I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just going to keep posting.


	6. Chapter 6

Lydia had been on a plane many times before. Her family took yearly vacations to the Caribbean and she always flew to see her sister. But this was different. She’d flown alone, but only ever with a return ticket. She was flying somewhere with no intention of flying back.

Her parents hugged her and gave her a kiss before she passed through security. She could see them still when she pulled her sandals back on after passing through the metal detector and with one more wave, she grabbed an iced coffee and wandered over to her gate.

Stiles had been half right in his assertion about travelling better than cattle. She was pleasantly surprised when her ticket read Zone 1 - Business Class and made herself comfortable in the plush seat, accepting the glass of orange juice before the plane took off. It was the least the government could do for upending her life.

The flight was short and she tried to keep her mind clear throughout it. She used the inflight entertainment screen and watched the first half of a movie she’d never heard of before. It helped to distract her, but once the seatbelt sign came back on and the plane started to descend, she started to worry.

What if they didn’t get along? What if he was a bad person? What if she wasn’t a good wife? 

Before she could go through any more what ifs, she found herself rising from her seat and filing off the plane with everyone else. She stopped to use the washroom and took a look at herself to make sure she looked alright. She had taken her hair out of its usual ponytail and it sat in waves down her shoulders. She was wearing a simple casual dress - not a pinafore - and a pair of tennis shoes that were comfortable.

Lydia slipped on some chapstick and headed out of the washroom, following the signs for the baggage claim. She walked with purpose and tried to seem confident as she got closer. This was it. She was going to meet Derek and live with Derek and marry Derek. 

She headed down the escalator, a few people in front of her. As the baggage claim area became visible to her she started to look for Derek. She could picture his face from the photos and her eyes began to flicker over every person standing in the baggage claim area.

Lydia started to panic. She couldn’t see him anywhere. He had to pick her up, she didn’t know where he lived. Who would she call if he didn’t show up? What would happen? Would she be reArranged if he just didn’t show?

“Lydia?”

Lydia’s eyes snapped over to a tall man with a scruffy face and bright eyes. He was half waving to her from a nearby post as she stood in front of the end of the escalator. Oh. Derek.

Lydia gave him a shy smile and headed over to him. He was taller than she expected him to be and built, like really built. Did she hug him? Shake his hand? Would he make the first move?

She gave a little wave as she came up to him, “Hi Derek.”

Derek gave her a grin and took a step closer, holding out his arms, “Hug?”

Lydia nodded and walked into his arms, wrapping her own around him. She was met with the smell of his cologne and the smell of clean laundry. His chest was hard underneath her cheek and she relished the feeling of his arms wrapped tightly around her. She reached mid chest on him, feeling every bit as small as she looked.

She felt Derek release her and she stepped back, her cheeks warm and a flush travelling down her chest. His face was kind and warm and he looked genuinely happy that she was there. She was honestly kind of surprised that it didn’t feel awkward at all. She actually felt comfortable with him.

“How was your flight?” Derek asked as they walked over to the baggage carousel. 

Lydia gave a small shrug, “It was alright, pretty short. It was comfortable though and I had the row to myself.”

Derek moved slightly behind Lydia as a group of people walked past them, placing his hand lightly on her back as he moved back to her side. His touch made her back tingle and she let out a small contented sigh. 

“Well I’m glad,” Derek said, flashing her a smile. “Do you see your bags?”

Lydia looked over at the carousel and saw one of her bags coming around the bend, “Oh that’s one of them, the pink one. My other one looks the same.”

Derek grabbed it with ease, placing it beside her and pulling up the handle before walking back to the carousel and grabbing her second bag. “Only two?”

Lydia nodded and followed him as they walked out of the airport and to the garage. Derek easily put her bags into the trunk of his SUV and opened the passenger side door, helping Lydia into the seat. Within an hour, they were driving into a nice neighbourhood with quite large houses. Lydia wasn’t sure what to expect. Her parents had money and were considered wealthy, but there wasn’t much indication in Derek’s file.

They pulled into the driveway of a large two-floor house with a manicured front yard. Her stomach seemed to drop further in anticipation of what was next. Allison had told her that most Arranged people slept in separate bedrooms until their wedding night, but that wasn’t the case for everyone. 

Derek led her up the walkway to the house with a small smile on his face, both of her giant suitcases in his hands. He opened the door to a clean and bright house, leaving the bags in the front foyer, and leading her to the back of the house.

“Congratulations!” 

Lydia jumped, putting a hand to her chest at the group of people gathered in what looked like the living room of the house. A large banner hung on the wall behind them that read “Congratulations!” and balloons were placed on either side. Lydia shyly wrung her hands in front of her as the group of people looked on.

She could see Derek roll his eyes, narrowing them at the people standing in his home. He looked over to Lydia with an apologetic look and placed a hand behind her back, ushering her closer to him.

“Really guys? I thought I said no welcome wagon, at least not today,” Derek said, sounding half annoyed and half appreciative at the show of support.

An older man, who looked strikingly similar to Derek, scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, “Oh come now Derek, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if you’d known.”

“That was my point,” Derek mumbled, once again rolling his eyes.

Lydia continued to shyly look at the group of people, staying quiet and nearly pressed to Derek’s side. She thought it was sweet that Derek had a support system around him who were excited for his Arrangement. She couldn’t imagine anyone doing this for her back home. She too had said she didn’t want a party, and her parents had listened.

“Well? Introduce us!” A woman said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Derek gave a deep sigh and looked down at Lydia. She smiled back at him and nodded as if to say it was fine.

“Everyone, this is Lydia. Lydia, these are my friends and family who can’t take no for an answer,” said Derek. “This is my Uncle Peter here and his daughter Malia, that’s my sister Cora and her husband Isaac, and then my friends Boyd and Erica and Scott and Kira.”

Lydia waved to everyone that Derek pointed out and mumbled a quiet but polite “Hello.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and felt herself leaning more into Derek’s side. Derek’s uncle approached them first, sticking his hand out to shake Lydia’s, “It’s very nice to meet you Lydia. What a petite young lady they’ve chosen for my nephew.”

Derek shot his uncle a look, “Peter.”

Uncle Peter raised his hands and shot Lydia a wink. He seemed… flirtatious. Lydia wasn’t sure who his partner was but shook his daughter’s hand next. Malia seemed to be about her age but was much taller than her, more in line with her cousin. She had the same nose as Derek, Lydia decided, looking between the two.

“We’re very excited you’re here,” said Malia, flashing her a big grin.

“Thank you, I appreciate it. This is really great,” Lydia said sincerely. 

Malia shrugged and moved over as Derek’s sister approached them next. She gave a playful punch to Derek and offered Lydia a tight hug, saying, “Finally, now Derek can stop bothering me so much.”

“Thanks Cora,” Derek mumbled. He looked completely different than he had at the airport and in the car. His confidence seemed to dissipate slightly - only slightly - and he looked sort of frustrated with the intrusion of his friends and family. She sort of understood, they’d barely spoken to each other yet.

She met Cora’s partner Isaac next, a thin, tall man with a head of curly hair and more of a smirk than a smile. Boyd and Erica were next, who she learned were husband and wife. Erica seemed very outgoing while her partner Boyd was quieter. They seemed to compliment each other though.

Scott and Kira were last, also partners. Kira was beautiful, with dark eyes and a toned look that complimented Scott. She noticed immediately his crooked jawline and puppy-dog smile but he seemed excited that she was here.

“So Derek said you’re from Phoenix? That’s actually where I’m from, what school did you go to?” Scott said, one of his hands in his pocket and leaning against the wall.

Lydia nodded, “I am, born and raised. I went to Aldread’s Academy, it’s an all-girls school. My sister Allison went to public school though.”

Scott slowly nodded with a strange look in his eyes. He cast a glance towards his partner but turned back to Lydia, “What’s your last name?”

“Martin.”

Scott seemed to freeze for a split second. It was hardly noticeable but Lydia saw it, “Is your sister Allison Martin?”

Lydia slowly nodded her head, eyes wide, “Yes, well she’s Allison Whittemore now. Wait, Scott right?”

Scott ran his hand through his hair with a look of disbelief in his eyes, “Yeah… excuse me a minute.”

Lydia looked after Scott as he walked into the kitchen area by himself. She looked around to see if anyone else had heard their conversation but everyone seemed preoccupied with their own. She wandered over to Derek where he stood talking to Cora and Isaac. 

“Can you show me where the washroom is? I just want to freshen up,” said Lydia, lightly grasping her phone in her hand.

“Oh of course, I’m sorry Lydia I didn’t even think,” Derek said apologetically. “I’m sorry about all of this. I told them not to but… well, obviously they didn’t listen.”

Lydia smiled at him, “No it’s alright. It’s really nice of them to be so excited for you.”

Derek led her towards a closed door and opened it for her, turning on the lights. It was a small powder room but far enough away from the living room that she’d be able to call her sister. 

“Not just me, they’re excited for us,” Derek said simply, shutting the door and giving her privacy.

Lydia sat down on the closed toilet seat and took a deep breath. She was pretty sure that was Scott, Allison’s Scott. The one she had dated before her Arrangement. 

She dialed her sister’s number and waited with bated breath. Finally she heard the call connect on the other end and her sister’s voice, “Lydia? How’s it going? Are you there?”

“I found him Allison,” Lydia got straight to the point, using a half-whisper. She turned on the tap for good measure.

“Found who?” Allison questioned, confusion ringing throughout her voice.

“I found Scott. You know, Scott, the guy you dated Scott before your Arrangement,” Lydia tried to keep her voice down.

Allison was silent on the other end. Honestly, Lydia didn’t know what she expected. The last time she had brought him up Allison had shut her down immediately. But this wasn’t just a question, she had actually found THE Scott.

“What are you talking about?” Allison finally questioned, a hiccup in her breath.

“I’m at Derek’s hou- our house and his friends and family threw us a party. I was meeting everyone and this guy Scott said he was from Phoenix. He asked where I went to school, I told him and said that my sister Allison went to a public school. Then he asked what my last name was and it’s him Allison!” Allison was silent again. Lydia could only hear the running water and her own heartbeat. 

“I have to go Lydia,” Allison said before all Lydia could hear was the dial tone.

Lydia pulled her phone away from her ear and looked at the screen which showed the call had ended. Well… she wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)


	7. Chapter 7

After everyone had left Derek led her upstairs with her bags to what looked like a spare room. It was quite large with a nice size closet and comfy looking king-size bed. The house looked immaculately clean and Lydia couldn’t help but wonder if he hired a cleaner. She was also pleasantly surprised that she’d have her own room.

“I figured you’d appreciate some privacy while we get to know each other,” Derek said quietly, watching her.

Lydia gave him a soft smile and nodded, “I do. Thank you Derek.”

Derek shrugged and looked down at his watch, his arm flexing when he turned it over, “I was thinking we could just order something for dinner tonight, I know it’s been a long day. Chinese maybe? If that’s something you like…”

Derek trailed off and looked at Lydia expectantly. “I love Chinese, that sounds good.”

“Tomorrow I thought we could walk down to the beach and get lunch over there. I know a great restaurant that looks out over the ocean, you’ll love it,” Derek continued.

Lydia gave him a grin and nodded once again. She felt awkward all of a sudden. It was just the two of them in this big house now and for the first time since she had arrived she started to think about why he needed all of this space. She was curious but swore she wouldn’t ask him about reentering the Arrangement program until they’d gotten to know each other better.

Taking in a deep breath and telling herself to just do it, she walked over to Derek and held her arms open for a hug. “Thank you Derek,” she mumbled against his warm chest.

She could feel Derek give her a tight squeeze, arms wrapped fully around her, big palms resting on her back. She could feel his face pressed into her shoulder and was that…? A soft kiss to her head, she thought. That’s what it felt like.

“I’ll let you get comfortable and maybe in an hour we’ll order,” Derek said, pulled back from his soon-to-be partner.

Derek closed the door behind him and Lydia sat down on the bed, letting out a deep sigh and staring at her bags. Was there any point in fully unpacking? She’d be moving into Derek’s bedroom in a matter of weeks. But maybe she could pull out a few things to make it feel more like home.

She went over to her purse and pulled out her phone charger first, plugging in her phone. When the screen lit up she noticed she had a few texts, all from Stiles. She chewed on her lip as she opened the texts.

 _Just checking to see if you’re there, hope everything is good xx  
_ Is it nice and sunny? Is there a breeze? Xx  
 _Okay Lydia please text me back so I can stop worrying you’ve met a murderer xx  
Lydia pleaseeeeeee_

Lyda grimaced at the texts and typed back a quick, _I’m fine Stiles! Just had a busy day! Derek is great, not a murderer. Met his family and friends today. Scott - Allison’s Scott - is one of his friends!!!_

She put her phone down on the nightstand and opened up her suitcase, pulling out her favourite throw and her pillow. She put both on the bed and laid down, she’d just close her eyes for a few minutes.

\--

Her eyes opened slowly, everything in front of her blurry, and for a second thought she was in her bed at home in Phoenix. She let out a yawn as her ears adjusted to someone whispering her name and as she felt a large hand resting on her shoulder.

She squeezed her eyes tight and opened them to clearer vision and saw Derek sitting on the side of the bed, a soft look on his face as his fingers gently rubbed her shoulder. 

“You fell asleep,” he muttered quietly. “It’s about 7, I ordered dinner. I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a bit of everything.”

Lydia smiled shyly at him and stretched, lifting her arms over her head and enjoying the feeling. She could see Derek watching her, his eyes flicking down her torso to her legs, and she realized her dress had ridden up. She tugged it down quickly and sat up, hugging her legs in front of her. 

“Thanks for waking me, I thought I’d just close my eyes for a few minutes…” Lydia trailed off, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Derek patted her arm and stood up from the bed, looking around the room, probably noticing that she hadn’t unpacked anything. He turned back around to look at her, “I haven’t even seen some of this furniture before.”

Derek muttered as he walked around the room, glancing at the desk on one side and the dresser on the other. “I’m sure you noticed that I’m a bit older than you.”

Oh. They were going to have this conversation now? For some reason she felt like he wouldn’t want to explain, wouldn’t want to share the reasons but she had also assumed it was some dirty secret. Maybe it wasn’t so dirty after all.

“I did,” Lydia said. “I was going to ask, I just didn’t know when the right time would be.”

Derek crossed his arms over his chest, as if to protect himself. He looked like he would rather be having any other conversation than this one but she appreciated his frankness. She would’ve asked at some point, he must’ve known that, so he kept the ball in his court.

“This is my second Arrangement,” Derek started. “My uh, my wife passed away about a year ago. She was… sick.”

How horrible, Lydia thought. To be so young and lose your partner and be told a year later that you’d have to marry again. The government so valued their citizen’s reproductive organs, but that was about it.

Lydia apologized, “I’m sorry Derek. I can’t imagine how you must feel, and being forced to marry again… I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

“Don’t apologize,” Derek said, shaking his head. “You didn’t do anything and I don’t want you to feel like I don’t want to make this work. I do. I just need some patience, and I’ll be patient with you too.”

Lydia got up off the bed and straightened her dress. She walked up to Derek and, like she had done with Stiles, stuck her hand out. Derek seemed to stare at her hand, brows furrowed and lines creasing on his forehead. She nodded towards her hand again, waiting for him to grasp it but nothing.

She started to pull her hand back when she realized he wasn’t going to shake it, but he suddenly grasped her hand in his, giving it a firm shake. He squeezed the bones in her hand, maybe a little harder than she had expected, and Lydia gave him a grin.

Lydia grabbed her phone off the nightstand and the two soon-to-be partners walked down the stairs. The tantalizing smell of Chinese food wafted in the area and she gave a contented sigh as she entered the kitchen and saw more takeout boxes than she could’ve imagined.

They ate dinner in a comfortable silence, Lydia offering small noises of satisfaction with every noddle she pulled into her mouth.

\--

Lydia lay in bed that night both tired and wide awake. She wanted to sleep but she had so many thoughts running through her mind. She knew Derek was only one room over and wondered if he was awake like her. Probably not, this was his second time around the block. He was probably sound asleep.

Lydia sighed and grabbed her phone, still nothing from Stiles. Maybe she should call him? She chewed on her lip and tapped on his contact info, her finger hovering over the number. She took a deep breath and pressed it, putting the phone up to her ear.

After two rings she heard the phone pick up and a breathless, “Lydia?”

Lydia smiled inwardly and whispered back, “Hi Stiles.”

“I didn’t know if I should text you back but you’re calling, that’s a good sign!” Stiles said happily. “How is he?”

“He’s actually really nice Stiles. I think he looks more intimidating than he really is. But he’s been very polite and I actually have my own room,” Lydia trailed off.

Stiles made a small noise in acknowledgement, “Wow...your own room…”

“Hey, not everyone gets one of those. He could’ve insisted on me sleeping in his room,” Lydia whispered.

“I know, I know. And what’s this about Scott? You met him?” Stiles asked, incredulously.

“He’s one of Derek’s friends. He recognized Allison’s name immediately, he has a partner though. I told Allison that I had found him and she did not take it well,” Lydia explained.

Lydia looked up at the dark ceiling and sighed. She didn’t know how to fix that. In some ways she knew Allison was right. What was going to come of it? Maybe they’d see each other and all those feelings would rush back for nothing. They couldn’t get out of their Arrangements. It would be like torture.

“It must be hard. At least before she could just push him out of her mind, but now she knows where he is and can wonder about him more realistically,” said Stiles. “I understand it, in a way.”

Lydia scoffed, “How do you understand it? Do you have some long lost love thousands of miles away?”

Stiles was quiet, “Maybe not thousands.”

Lydia stilled, her heartbeat sounding loud in her ear. The more she focused the more she could feel her body moving with each beat of her heart. She even thought she could hear the blood rushing in her veins.

“I’m sorry Stiles,” she whispered.

“Don’t be sorry Lydia, I just want you to be happy.”

Lydia sighed. “I’m trying.”

They ended their phone call a few minutes later with not much left to say. Lydia had her suspicions that Stiles liked her more than as just a friend, and Lydia had to be honest, she kind of did too. Those last few weeks spent with him felt like some secret love affair, handshakes and all. What could she say? It was the most intimacy she had ever had. 

But she was confused. Was it actually a romantic interest? She wasn’t sure. She felt butterflies with him, but she felt butterflies with Derek too. It was probably just nerves. 

She groaned as her mind kept spinning and flipped the covers off. She grabbed her thin robe she’d pulled out of her bag and pulled it on haphazardly. She very quietly opened the door to the room and tiptoed down the hallway to the stairs. She needed a glass of water.

Lydia glanced at Derek’s door but continued past, quietly stepping down the stairs, her heart beating hard in her chest as she felt the step creak beneath her foot. She listened for a few seconds, the house was still quiet.

She wandered through the house to the kitchen and opened a few cupboards until she found cups. She opened a few other cupboards, perhaps snooping a little bit, but ended up shrugging and turning on the tap. Was that a noise?

“Are you looking for something?”

Lydia jumped, clutching her chest and letting out a small shriek. She turned around, the water splashing out of her cup and onto the floor. 

“Derek! You scared me.” Lydia said, trying to steady her breathing.

Derek was staring at her with a strange look on his face. He was wearing pajamas but didn’t look as though he’d been sleeping. 

“I just wanted some water,” Lydia said, placing the cup on the counter and bending over to wipe up the water she’d spilled.

Derek was silent behind her and Lydia bit her lip, “C’mon, I’ll walk you back upstairs.”

Lydia nodded and grabbed her cup, walking in front of her soon-to-be partner as they headed up the stairs. This was a little strange, she thought. She really wasn’t doing anything, she really did just want some water.

She walked back over to her room, Derek still right behind her and got into bed. Derek stared down at her and gave her a quick nod, “Goodnight Lydia.”

Lydia whispered “Goodnight” and Derek closed the door behind him.

She closed her eyes and willed herself to try and sleep when she heard a small click. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at the door, was that…?

Had he locked her in the room?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow build, twists and turns, some romance, what more could you want?
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated :)


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